脕guilas beaches: Playa de la Colonia

A Blue Flag beach under the shadow of the castle of Águilas

The Playa de la Colonia in Águilas is located in the centre of the town, on the western side of the headland on which the Castillo de San Juan stands, and the wide expanse of sand lies in the curve which leads round to the rocky promontory.

The location is at the same time spectacular and perfect for family days out by the Mediterranean: the water in this corner of the bay is protected on almost all sides, with a jetty to the west and another to the south, at the end of the headland, and as a result wavy conditions and strong undercurrents are unusual.

The beach official measurements of Playa de la Colonia are 580 metres in length and 40 metres in width, and although at the shore the sand is unbroken there are attractive little oases of palm trees all along its length next to the seafront promenade which runs behind it on the Paseo de la Constitución.

This combination of natural and manmade elements is added to by a full range of services and facilities, which includes full lifeguard and first aid services in the summer, access points and parking spaces for the disabled, foot showers, wooden walkways, children’s play areas, and all of those which are required in order for the Blue Flag to be flown here every summer. The many bathers at Playa de la Colonia can also enjoy on-beach refreshments at the “chiringuito”, or beach bar, and an amphibious bathing chair for those of limited mobility is also available while the lifeguard and first aid points are manned during the summer. This timetable is from 11.00 to 19.00 every day of the week, and more limited services are also provided at weekends in December, January and June and during the weeks of Carnival and Easter.

For those who prefer to eat away from the sand, though, there are also plenty of options along the front, as various bars and restaurants vie for custom along the Paseo de la Constitución.

Beach cleaning is daily during the summer and weekly for the rest of the year, and during the summer at Playa de la Colonia there is also a tourist information point, which is open from 11.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 19.00. Water quality checks are performed every week in summer and on a monthly basis for the rest of the year.

In the past this part of Águilas was home to the fish market, a harbour and the bathing station, and it is still very much in the centre of the town. As a result parking can be problematic and time-consuming even out of season, but once this conundrum has been solved, normally at a small price as this is a “blue parking” zone, the effort is well worthwhile.

For information concerning all of the beaches in Águilas visit the summary of all the beaches in Águilas.

More information about Águilas including beaches, what to see, what's on and tourist information can be found on ÁGUILAS TODAY